Part 15 (1/2)

”So?”

*So, in the old days, when there was but one thing of His kind in all the world, why would He have need of a name? Just so, billions of years later, some stupid human could cast a spell using it? No. He is The Dragon, oldest of us all, and has no need of a name.*

So what can we do to protect ourselves against him?

*Don't wake Him. He is older than the mountain, and you could break the mountain more easily that you could dent the smallest of His scales. Karl Cullinane?*

Yes?

*I have done one thing for you, no? Will you bring me my sheep now, or must I do the other?*

You make that sound like a threat. And I don't like threats, Ellegon.

*Very well.* Ellegon sighed mentally. *Then, I will let you understand.*

Understand whaa”

The universe fell apart.

He was fifteen, and a nice Jewish girl. Or, at least, she was supposed to be. But there were things she wasn't supposed to be, and things she wasn't supposed to do. Like grope in the dark with Jonathan Dolan, and slip out ofa”

*Enough? Or do you really want to understand Doria?*

You're letting me into her memories? Why?

*So you'll understand.*

No, waia”

And she couldn't tell Daddy, of course. He called her his one-and-only, and Mommy thought she was still a virgin. That was one of the rules: You don't talk about it. But it wasn't only that she was tale, there was this burninga”and that d.a.m.n Jonny Dolan was telling everybody that she'd given him the clap. And that couldn't be true. It couldn't. He was the first, and the only one, so far.

And it hadn't even been any fun. Just a sticky mess. He lied. They all lied. It wasn't any fun at all.

*You still don't see it.*

But I can't tell anybody. Besides, it's probably not that. Maybe, if I just forget about it. it'll go away?

*I think, perhaps, just a bit more.*

”She's a sick little girl, Mr. Perlstein, but with a bit of luck we'll have the fever down in a few hours.” She lay panting beneath the plastic, no longer able to paw at the tubes in her nose and armsa”they'd fastened her hands down.

”But it can't be gonorrhea. Not my littlea””

”You know, Mr. Perlstein, you make me sick.”

”Doctor, Ia””

”If she'd been able to tell anybodya”if she'd felt able to tell anybody... if there'd been one G.o.ddam person for her to talk to, maybe she wouldn't be lying there now. We could have treated it easily, if we had gotten to it. Before.”

”Before?”

”Before it grew into one h.e.l.l of a raging pelvic infection that'll leave her sterile, if it doesn't kill her.”

”Sterile? My littlea””

”Sterile. Unable to conceive. Ever. If we're lucky. Nurse.” A cold hand felt at her forehead. ”I want a temp and BP every five minutes. If her temp doesn't start to drop within the hour...”

*And the last portion of the payment.*

And I guess it doesn't matter anymore and besides in a lot of ways I'm perfect because n.o.body ever has to worry about getting Doria Perlstein pregnant ever which means that every cloud has a silver lining because now I can have any boy I want to but they all treat me like I was a cigarette they pa.s.s around but I guess that doesn't matter because that's what I deserve isn't it because becausebecausebecausebea”

*Enough.*

”Karl, are you okay?”

”I don't care what he said, Walter, we've got to get him out of here.”

”Noa”wait. I think he's coming around.”

Karl pried an eye open. Doria and Walter bent over him, concern creasing their faces. ”It's okay,” he said, not surprised to hear his voice coming out as a harsh croak. ”Help me up.”

”What did he do to you?” Doria asked. ”He hurt you again. Thata””

”Shh.” Understanding, eh?

*Understanding. It's not always easy to understand things, Karl Cullinane. Even I know that.*

She doesn't know?

*No, of course not. Why would I want to hurta”*

You would have killed us. a few minutes ago. If you could have reached us.

*A different thing entirely, no?*

A different thing entirely.

*Will you get me my sheep now?* Ellegon asked plaintively.

Karl walked slowly to the railing and stared out at the dragon. ”You two keep watch. I've got a debt to pay.”

”What did it do toa””

”Shh.”

*Then I get my sheep!*